Resources

Stop Doing Your Job

Posted June 16th, 2017

Your employer requests you do something that wasn’t on your list of duties, and you respond with, “That’s not my job.” If you really want to prove your worth to your company and move up, you need to go beyond the basics. And while you don’t need to go past your job description unfairly or become the annoying person pestering people for something else to do, you can and should strike a happy medium between those two.

Anticipate your employer’s needs. You may have a deadline approaching that will mean significant business for the company. If possible, look at the timeline of what needs to happen and make the necessary call, work with others to get the next phase of the project going (as long as you’re not stepping on any toes or doing something without approval). This also shows a manager you can anticipate those needs without them having to ask or check in. You saying, “Oh, I’ve already started on that” marks you as someone who can take initiative and work independently, two top qualities employers look for.

Make yourself indispensable. Even with the upturn in the economy, companies still occasionally need to downsize. When employers look at who they want to keep and who they can let go, make sure they look at you as someone who has chosen to improve themselves by learning new skills…ones you’ve successfully implemented into your current job. Or if you’ve become the go-to problem solver/innovator/reliable employee, you’ll stand out in the best way possible.

Take constructive criticism well. Want to show you’re more than just the job description? After your next performance review, take what your manager has said and put it into action. If you have an area you need to improve upon, actively seek ways and help to do so. If you have a skills gap, find a way to bridge it, whether with an online course (and it doesn’t hurt to see if an employer will help pay for it) or asking a more experienced colleague to give you some pointers.

You don’t have to turn yourself inside out to prove your worth, but if you want to impress your employer, do something impressive. Go beyond “what’s required.” For advice on how to impress a future employer or find your next position, partner with the local staffing professionals at PrideStaff Thousand Oaks today!